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c^N cADDRESS 

DELIVERED BY 

HENRY A. M. SMITH 

cAT THE 

UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT 

TO 

GENERAL THOMAS SUMTER 

^AT STATESBURGH, S. C. 

AUGUST 14, 1907 



WALKER. EVANS & COGSWELL CO., PRINTERS 

NOS. 3 AND 5 BROAD STREET AND 117 EAST BAY STREET 

CHARLESTON, S. C. 



cylN ADDRESS 

DELIVERED BY 

HENRY A. M. SMITH 

^T THE 

UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT 

TO 

GENERAL THOMAS SUMTER 

c^T STATESBURGH, S. C. 
cAUGUST 14, 1907 



WALKER. EVANS & COGSWELL CO., PRINTERS 

NOS. 3 AND 5 BROAD STREET AND 1'7 EAST BAY STREET 

CHARLESTON. S. C. 



Biz 



07 









GUI. 



We are met together to-day to unveil a 
monument to, and thereby to do honor 
to the memory of one to whom the State 
of South Carolina owes a debt of deepest 
gratitude. 

When I first received the honor of an 
invitation to take part in this ceremonial, 
and turned my attention to the matter 
and subject of any essay I should de- 
liver there was brought forcibly back to 
my mind what many years ago I had dis- 
covered—that is, the exceedingly scanty 
information we possessed of much of 
the life of Gen Sumter. He is an object 
lesson of how a man may attain wide and 
enduring fame and reputation during his 
life and yet leave behind him at his death 
nothing to tell future generations of the 
details of a life that has passed away. 
Whilst living evei^ything is taken for 
granted. No one supposes it possible that 
ignorance can exist concerning one whose 
name and deeds are on the lips and in 
the minds of every one. Eut that gen- 
eration passes. New figures on the stage 
play to new audiences and it comes to 
pass that when one of a later generation 
turns to enquire of the details upon 
which a fame was founded that has 
come to him in the shape of a general 
and recognized tradition, he is perturbed 
to find that there is nothing but this gen- 
eral recognition and tradition upon which 
he can lay hold. 



So has it been with Gen Sumter. There 
does not exist a single sketch even of his 
life worthy of the title of a life of him. 

His contemporary in time, although 
subordinate in rank, Gen Francis Marion, 
has three biographers— Weems, James and 
Simms. His contemporary and com- 
manding officer, Gen Nathanael Greene, 
has the bulky' two-volumed life of him 
by Johnson, and no less than four other 
biographers. Sumter has had literally no 
biographer, and to find out anything about 
him it has been necessary to pick it out of 
the histories of the events of the day. 
Concerning his earlier life prior to the 
Revolutionary war and his later years 
after its close there does not exist a single 
account of him worthy the name of even 
a sketch. 

Around Marion there has grown and 
clustered a wealth of romance. Both fic- 
tion and poetry have joined to paint him 
with all the alluring colors of admiring 
description, yet I venture to sajr that 
there is nothing in Marion's life more ro- 
mantic or filled with more desperate ad- 
venture than Sumter's early struggles in 
frontier Indian warfare, or his intrepid 
and gallant contests with Tarleton, the 
dashing and conquering commander of 
the British cavalry. 

It has seemed to me, therefore, that the 
most appropriate way in which I could 
testify our admiration for his character 
.and do honor to his memory would be 
to-day as fully as possible in the narrow 
limits of a public speech, repair the in- 
difference of the past by giving as full 



and authentic an account of his life and 
exploits as it lay in my power to do. 

As in many other cases of men who 
have become famous through their worth 
and abilities, but who have been too mod- 
est to be their own biographers, there is 
very little material from which to write 
the history of Sumter's early life. The 
date and place of his birth are alike un- 
certain. 

Date and Place of his Birth. 

McCrady, in his History of South Caro- 
lina, states that he was boin the 14th 
July, 1736, in Hanover Couuty, Virginia, 
and adds that his father's family were 
from Wales, but had removed to England 
and thence emigrated to Virginia, and 
that his mother was a Virginian of Eng- 
lish stock. 1. He refers to no authority for 
this, but it has always been understood 
that his information was derived from 
Gen Sumter's descendants. As to date of 
birth this is confirmed by Mills, whose 
statistics of South Carolina were pub- 
lished in 1826, when Gen Sumter was still 
alive, and who states that he was then 
ninety. 2. 

Also Gen Sumter's son, Thomas Sum- 
ter, Jr, writing to his daughter in Decem- 
ber, 1825, mentions that his father was 
then in his 88th year, which would carry 



1. McCrady, Vol 3., p. 564. 

2. Mill's Statistics, p. 746. 

3. Original MSS— in possession of R. J 
Brownfield, Esq. 



the year of his birth back to 1736. 3. There 
is, however, in the possession of Gen 
Sumter's lineal descendants an old leaf, 
which is traditionally said to be a leaf 
from the family Bible. This old leaf has 
written upon it in quite archaic script the 
following entries: 

"Wm Sumter was born in Hanover 
"County, in Virginia, on the 29 October, 
"1731." 

"Thomas Sumter was born in said coun- 
"ty on August 14, 1734." 

From the reminiscences of John Redd, 
later referred to, we learn he had a 
brother, William. Taking into considera- 
tion the family tradition as to the leaf in 
question being from the family Bible, the 
appearance of the entries upon it and 
their particularity, corroborated by the 
fact that he had a brother AVilliam, evi- 
dently the one referred to in the frst 
entry, it would seem most likely that the 
exact date of his birth was as stated in 
the entry, 14th August, 1734, and that lie 
was born in Hanover County. 

He was, therefore, younger than his 
great contemporary, Francis Marion, who 
was born, it is believed, in 1732. 

Early Reminiscences. 

Since the publication of McCrady's His- 
tory some more material concerning the 
birthplace and early life of Gen Sumter 
has been made available by the publica- 
tions of the Virginia Historical Society. 
In a letter written by John Redd, of 
Henry County, Virginia, to Dr Lyman 



C. Draper and dated 13th June, 1850, giv- 
ing Mr Redd's recollections and reminis- 
cences of people in his section, he states: 

"4th. Gen'l Sumpter's Mother was a 
"Widow when I first knew her; which was 
"when I was quite a small boy. When I 
"left Orange County in 1774 the Old Lady 
"was then living. I think s,he lived sev- 
"eral years afterward and die.d in Orange: 
"I know nothing of Gen'l Sumpter's boy- 
"hood days nor of his father. His edu- 
cation was only such as could be ob- 
"tained in his day at neighborhood 
"schools. I don't know when or whom 
"he married; I think, tho, he married 
"some Lady of South Carolina. During 
"the latter part of the Revolution his 
"Bro, Wm, moved to S. Carolina. I don't 
"know what finally became of him." And 
again: 

"The greatest intimacy always existed 
"between Gen'l Martin, Gen Sanipter and 
"Col Cleveland. They were very wild in 
"their youthful days. Cleveland I don't 
"think was hardly as wild as the other 
"two. I recollect a circumstance which 
"not only shows the intimacy between 
"Gen'l Sumpter and Martin & their fond- 
"ness for pleasure, but also Gen'l Sump- 
"ter's strict honesty. The first year I 
"think it was that Gen's Sumpter wa^ 
"elected to Congress from S. Caro- 
lina, while on his way to Washington he 
"stopped at Richmond. As soon as he 
"stopped at a hotel he sent up to the 
"Capitol for Martin & myself, who were 
"members of the Legislature there. He 
"was highly pleased at meeting with us— 



"particularly his old companion, Martin, 
"whom he had not seen for some twenty - 
"five years. They called each other by 
"the familiar names, Joe <ic Tom. Time 
"passed rapidly & pleasantly while they 
"talked of the events of their youthful 
"days. Just before Sumpter started (for 
"he staid only a few hours) he asked Mar- 
"tin if he recollected the last frolic they 
"had at Johnson's. Martin said that they 
"had really had so many he could not. 
"Sumpter said he recollected it well, and 
"should never forget it; for, said he, I 
"lost all my money playing cards & 
"you loaned me five pounds. Martin said 
"he had no recollection whatever of the 
"transaction, and Sumpter must be mis- 
"taken. Sumpter said he know he owed 
"the money, and, putting his hands in his 
"pockets, he pulled out ten guineas and 
"said he should take it." 1. 

In the reminiscences of the same John 
Redd, published as separate from his let- 
ter to Dr Draper, he again states con- 
cerning Gen Sumter: 

"Gen Thorn Sumpter was also born and 
"raised in the uper end of Orange Coun- 
"ty, near the blue ridge. I never new 
"his Father, for he died before my reck- 
"ollection, his mother lived to be quite 
"an old woman, beloved and respected 
"by all who knew her, the father of 
"Gen Sumpter was not wealthy, thougn 
"in easy circumstances. I do not know 
"how many Brothers or Sisters Gen 



1. Va. Mag of Hist, & Biog, Vol 7, pp. 
402, 403. 



"Sumpter had. I new his bro, Wm, 
"who was not of much note. I also new 
"one Sister of his, who married a man 
"by the name of Lan. Gen Sumpter, I 
"think, had oney one son, who was sent 
"as Minister or Consul to some foreign 
"Court and there died." 4. 

And again: 

"Gen Sumpter was born & raised in 
"the county of Orange, in the State of 
"Virginia. Some years before the Revo- 
"lutionary war Sumpter was sent by 
"order of the Government in charge of 
"several Indians of note to England, 
"where he remained for some time, and 
"then returned home with his red com- 
"panions. I suppose the object of his 
"mishion to England was that the Tn- 
"dians might see the power and resources 
"of the British Government, and thereby 
"learn the folly of raismg their array 
"against their white brethren on this 
"side of the Atlantic; after Sumpter re- 
"turned from England he removed to 
"South Carolina and there rstablished for 
"himself a reputation which is obtained 
"by but few." 5. 

In the same magazine is published a 
sketch of the distinguished "Virginian, 
Gen Joseph Martin, written by his son, 
Wm Martin. Gen Joseph Martin was born 
in 1740 in Albemarle County, Virginia, and 
died in Henry County, Virginia, in 1808. 
This sketch of him is contained in the 
form of a letter from Wm Martin to Dr 



4. Ibid, Vol 7, p. 5. 

5. Ibid, p. 243. 



10 

Lyman C. Draper, dated 1st June, 1842. 

In this sketch Mr Martin states that his 
father ran off from his apprenticeship 
during the war in 1756, and joined the 
army at Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg, and 
adds: 

"My father, in his raising among other 
"boys of the same temperament, became 
"associated with Tom — Gen Sumpter. who 
"so distinguished himself as the partizan 
"chief in South Carolina during the war 
"of the Revolution, and wont with him 
"to the war. Behold these two hapless 
"youths; those turbulent spirits that 
"could not be' tamed with the ordinary 
"pursuits of civil life, rushing along, like 
"water seeking its own "level, four or 
"five hundred miles through mostly a 
"wilderness, interspersed with hostile 
"savages, in quest of aliment that might 
"satisfy their craving appetites. Little 
"did they or anybody else think at the 
"time that these were some of the rising 
"spirits that were to lead in the revolu- 
tion, which afterwards gave liberty to 
"this country. How long they reinained 
"in the army or the part they acted there 
"is not known, though it is 'thought a 
"good while. Sumpter returned first. My 
"father on his return found him in jail 
"at Staunton, Virginia, for debt. He ob- 
"tained permission to lodge a night in 
"prison with his friend. In the morning, 
"when he went out, he left with Sumpte~ 
"his tomahawk and ten guineas, and with 
"one or both of which he escaped from 
"prison. Soon afterwards he went to 
"South Carolina, changed his course of 



11 



"life and became distinguished, as is 
"known to all who have read the history 
"of the Revolution.. Thus were they 
"separated for many years; and until at 
"length my father was at Richmond, Vir- 
ginia, a member of the legislature. 
"Sumpter was a member of Congress, and 
"on his way home called at Richmond, 
"where they met for the first time in 
"more than thirty years. What a meet- 
"ing this must have been! to talk over 
"old matters and things! They had both 
"now become old and highly elevated in 
"the temple of Fame. What proud satis- 
"faction they must have felt in the 
"retrospection! Before they separated 
"Sumpter handed my father twenty 
"guineas — having reference to the prison." 
6. 

Wars with. Indians. 

Appleton's Encyclopaedia of American 
Biography states: Sumter was present at 
Braddock's defeat in 1755, and seems af- 
terward to have been engaged in military 
service on the frontier. 

McCrady, in his history, states that he 
served in the "Virginia provincial corps 
in the French and Indian wars, and was 
present at Braddock's defeat in 1755, and 
that he was sent by Governor Dinwiddie. 
of Virginia, on a mission to the Chero- 
kees and accompanied the Indian chiefs 
to England in 1762. 7. 



6. Ibid, Vol 8, pp. 350, 351. 

7. McCrady, Vol 3, p. 564. 



12 



Neither gives any reference or author- 
ity for these statements. 

The family tradition as contained in a 
MSS sketch of Gen Sumter by his grand- 
daughter, Miss Brownfleld, is to the effect 
as stated by McCrady, who obtained his 
information from her. The same tradition 
is stated in an obituary of Gen Sum- 
ter, published in the Sumter Gazette for 
June 9, 1832— probably obtained from some 
one of Gen Sumter's descendants at 
the time. (Note.— In a list of persons who 
took the oath of allegiance to the Com- 
monwealth of Virginia in Henry County, 
on 30th May, 1777, is mentioned George 
Sumpter. Va Mag of Hist & Biog, Vol 
9, p. 18.) 

Great weight, however, should fairly be 
attached to the recollections of John 
Redd and William Martin. Mr Iledd per- 
sonally knew both Gen Sumter's mother 
and his brother, William, and was him- 
self present at the interview between 
Sumter and Gen Joseph Martin at Rich- 
mond, where Sumter paid his old friend 
twenty guineas. 

There is nothing directly from Gen 
Joseph Martin, who died in lf<08, but the 
account by his son, William Martin, who 
wrote in 1842— but, who had been o'.d enough 
in 1775 to accompany his father on an ex- 
pedition to Tennessee — is an account by 
one who was in a position to hear, and 
did hear, at first hand. 8. 

If his father and Sumter had been pres- 
ent at so notable an occurrence as Brad- 



8. Ibid, Vol 8, p. 358. 



13 

dock's defeat he would scarcely have 
failed to mention it. He says they .joined 
the army in 1756, whereas Braddock's de- 
feat took place in 1755. (Note.— An exami- 
nation of the roll of the Virginia provin- 
cial regiment which accompanied Brad- 
dock — if it be in existence— would disclose 
whether the names of Sumter and Mar- 
tin appeared.) 

The authenticity of the Martin remin- 
iscences is strengthened by the circum- 
stance that the earliest known letter of 
Gen Sumter in existence is dated 7th De- 
cember, 1763, and is addressed to Mr Jos 
Martin, whom he addresses as "Friend 
"and Loving Comrade," and mentions a 
debt he owes him. 9. 

Arrival in Charleston. 

The following MSS notes, made by Dr 
Lyman C. Draper, have been furnished 
by a descendant of Gen Sumter: 

"28th November, 1761. Thos Sumter, 
"with Lieut Timberlake, left Great Isld, 
"on Tenn River, to go to the Cherokee 
"Nation." 

"On the 15th May Thos S. embarked 
"at Hampton Roads, Va, for England, 
"& arrived at Portsmouth on the 16th 
"June, 1762, with 3 Indians. Ortinaco, 
"the Indian Chief, among them, & Lieut 
"Timberlake. The sloop Epreuve, Capt 
"Peter Blake, was the Ship which took 
"them to England." 



9. Publications Sou Hist Assn, Vol 11, 
p. 81. 



14 



"About the 25th August, 1762, Thos 
"Sumter embarked with the three Indian 
"Chiefs, & without Lieut Timberlaka, 
"for Charleston on the same ship which 
"had taken him to England." 

Dr Draper's notes as furnished give no 
references for these statements, but. in 
the South Carolina Gazette, No 1,455, for 
5th June, 1767, the statement is made that. 
Judd's friend, one of the piinicpal head- 
men of the Cherokee Nation, had gone to 
Virginia, and had permission to go to 
England in one of the King's ships. 

In the Gazette, No 1,476, for SOth Octo- 
ber, 1762, under the head of the local 
Charles Town news, it is stated: "Thurs- 
"day last arrived here his Maiesty's Snow 
"Epreuve, commanded by Capt Peter 
"Blake, with Judd's friend and the two 
"other Cherokee Indians that attended 
"him, who went to England on the said 
"Snow in June last." 

And in No 1,481 for December 4, 1762. 
"Judd's friend and the two other Chero- 
"kees that returned with bin- from Eng- 
land in his Majesty's Snow, the Epreuve, 
"set off from ninety-six the 18th ulto 
"for the Cherokee Nation well pleased." 

No mention is made of Thomas Sumter 
or Ortinaco, unless the same Indian chief 
was intended by the name "Judd's friend." 

From all which we can infer that he 
was born in Virginia, probably in Han- 
over County, on 14th August, 1734. That 
he received only such education as could 
be obtained from the ordinary country 
school of the time, (as is evidenced by 
his spelling, grammar and vocabulary in 



15 

his later letters)— that he served in the 
war against the. French and Indians, 
either at or just after Braddoek's defeat; 
that he accompanied in some capacity the 
India n chiefs sent by Governor Dinwiddie 
to England in 1762, arid on his return went 
to South Carolina in October, 1762. TVe 
have no account of his movements from 
October, 1762, to March, 1763. (Note.— An 
examination of Dr Draper's MSS volumes, 
at the Historical Society Library in Madi- 
son, Wis, might clear up these uncertain- 
ties. They are said to number several 
volumes.) 

Career in South Carolina. 

From this date in 1763 we have the re- 
cord evidence of his presence and life in 
South Carolina. On 26th March, 1763, the 
South Carolina Gazette of that date men- 
tions that a Frenchman had been lately 
delivered up by Mr Sumter to Lieut 
Charles Taylor, commandant at Fort 
Prince George Keeho wee — adding: "If 
"the great warrior had been in the na- 
"tion, 'tis thought Mr Sumter would not 
"have been suffered to bring him away." 

In the Gazette of 23d April, 1763, it is 
stated that the French prisoner taken by 
Mr Sumter in the Cherokee Nation in 
February had been that week brought to 
town. 

It is not stated in what capacitv Mr 
Sumter was in the Cherokee Nation, nor 
is his personal name given ; he is styled 
Mr Sumter. In the light of what follows 
there is little room to doubt it was 



16 

Thomas Sumter. In his letter to Jos Mar- 
tin, before alluded to, dated 7th Decem- 
ber, 1763, Sumter says: "If you intend out 
"next spring. I wish you Good success 
"in all your Partention, and if I Go my- 
"self I shall have a Company, which by 
"the promises that I have had I have 
"Great Reason to Expect it." 

This would appear to refer to some ex- 
pectation he had of being appointed to 
command a company in some proposed 
Indian expedition. In 1761 the expedition 
from South Carolina, under the command 
of Col Grant, had so thoroughly humbled 
the Cherokees that no expedition from 
South Carolina against them was in con- 
templation—at least from South Caro- 
lina. There may have been, however, 
from the more Northern colonies. 

In 1766 he purchased from Aquilla Miles 
a tract of 200 acres of land on the south 
side of Santee River, in the eastern part 
of what is now Orangeburg County. 10. 
He was in South Carolina earlier than 
that, for in 1765 he morgtgaged slaves to 
William Fludd, of St John's Parish, 
Berkeley. 11. 

On October 25, 1768, in a bill of sale de- 
scribing himself as Thomas Sumter, of 
Craven County— merchant— he sold a fe- 
male slave to Miss Lynch Roberts. 12. 



10. M. C. O., Charleston, Bk Z, No 3, 
p. 267. 

11. Office Secy State, Mortgage Bk 3 Bs : 

p. 

12. Prof, Ct Charleston, Bk. 1767, 1771, p. 

26. 



17 



On the 21st June, 1769, he mortgaged 7 
negro slaves to secure the loan of £1,050, 
currency of the province. 13. 

On 18th November, 1769, describing nim- 
self as "Thomas Sumter, storekeeper," of 
St Mark's Parish, Craven County, he 
mortgaged 16 men, 3 boys, 10 women and 
3 girl slaves to secure a loan of £5,000. cur- 
rency of the province. 14. 

For explanation it should be stated that 
St Mark's Parish was created in 1757, and 
included what is now Sumter and Claren- 
don counties. 

On 1st June, 1771, we find Thomas Sum- 
ter and Mary, his wife, of the Parish of 
St Mark, conveying to Samuel Dubois the 
200 acres he had purchased from Aquilla 
Miles. 15. 

Marriage in South Carolina. 

Exactly when the marriage of Sumter 
took place cannot be said, as there ap- 
pears to be no record remaining. Some time 
evidently between 1763 and 1768— when bis 
eldest child was born. 

He married a widow— Mrs Mary Jame- 
son, who had been Miss Mary Cantey. 16. 
She was the daughter of Joseph Cantey, 
of St Mark's Parish, and the grand- 



13. Office Secy State, Mortgage Bk, 3 As, 
p. 462. 

14. Ibid, Mtge Bk, 3 Cs, p. 18. 

15. M. C. O., Charleston, Bk Z, No 3, p. 
267. 

16. Prob, Ct Charleston, Bk M. M., p. 



18 

daughter of Capt William Cantey, (17,) 
originally of Ashley River, and possibly 
the same Capt Cantey, who at the siege of 
Charleston by the French an-1 Spaniards 
in 1706 distinguished himself, with Capt 
Fenwicke, by defeating a party of the 
enemy, who had landed on Wando neck, 
and who in November, 1711, accompanied 
Col James Moore (18) in his expedition to 
North Carolina against the Tuscaroras. 
(Note.— The Capt Cantey may have bee:a 
John, not William, Cantey — as both seem 
to have been termed "Captain" at that 
time.) 

Sumter continued in St Mark's Parish, 
and the following grants of land to him 
prior to 1775 appear of record: 

1,000 acres on the north side of Santee, 
granted 27th November, 1770. 

450 acres in St Mark's Parish, granted 
4th May, 1771. 

750 acres on Tawcaw Creek, granted 
23d January, 1773. 

550 acres on Potatoe Creek, granted 30th 
September, 1774. 

In 1775 we find him a prosperous and 
prospering planter and merchant of St 
Mark's Parish, in which he had been resi- 
dent for ten years, and married to a mem- 
ber of one of the oldest families in the 
province. (Note.— According to the fam- 



17. Ibid, Bk, 1774, 1778, p. 410. 

18. McCrady says, Vol 1, p. 499, that he 
accompanied Col John Barnwell in his 
expedition in 1712, but this is an error. 
Capt Cantey accompanied Col Moore in 
the later expedition in 1713. 



19 

ily tradition, Mrs Sumter died in 1817, a 
little over 93 years of age.) 

In that year, 1775, he entered upon the 
sphere of public life in the service of 
South Carolina, in which he was to con- 
tinue for near forty years. 

Beginning's of Revolution. 

The first organized meeting of the in- 
habitants of the Province of South Caro- 
lina held, as in any way representing the 
province as a whole to consider meas- 
ures to act in unison with the other colo- 
nies in resistance to the arbitrary actions 
of the British ministry, was held in 
Charles Town in July, 1774. This meeting, 
although sometimes styled a provincial 
congress, was in no sense such. It was 
practically the congregating together of 
whoever chose to come to the meeting. 
It originated in a call issued by the in- 
habitants of Charles Town to the rest of 
the province for a general provincial 
meeting. The people were at liberty to 
elect as many deputies as they chose, or 
if they saw fit, to attend in person with- 
out sending deputies. 

The meeting was held in Charles Town 
on the 6th July, 1774. ■ One hundred and 
four deputies attended from all parts of 
the colony. It was, however, determined 
that votes should be given by each person 
present, and not by representation of sec- 
tions, and that whoever chose to attend 
might do so and give his vote. 

This general meeting sat. for three days, 
adopted certain resolutions, elected depu- 



20 



ties to represent the colony in the General 
Congress to be held in Philadelphia, and 
appointed a general committee of ninety- 
nine persons to continue in authority un- 
til the next general meeting. 

It is not known if Sumter attended this 
meeting. There is no known list of the 
persons who did attend, and the informal 
character of the meeting itself would 
seem to have precluded any such list toe- 
ing made. 19. 

In November, 1774, this general commit- 
tee of ninety-nine persons arranged for a 
general meeting of the inhabitants of the 
colony by representation — the number of 
representatives from the different sections 
of the colony being apportioned to an 
aggregate of one hundred and eighty-four 
members. To the district lying eastward 
of the Wateree River was allotted ten 
representatives and the Assembly was to 
meet in Charles Town on the ]lth Janu- 
ary, 1775. 

Member of First Provincial Assem- 
bly. 

The Assembly met on the day set, and 
is generally known as the first Provincial 
Congress. Thomas Sumter was elected 
as one of the ten delegates from the dis- 
trict east of the "Wateree River. Among 
the other nine delegates were: Col Rich- 
ard Richardson, Jos Kershaw, Eli Ker- 



19. Drayton's Memoirs, "Vol 1, pp 112, 
126; Ramsey's Rev in S. C, Vol 1, p. IS; 
Moultrie's Memoirs, Vol 1, p. 10. 



21 



shaw, Matthew Singleton, William Rich- 
ardson, Eli Kershaw, William Wilson. 

The journals of this Congress are not 
in existence in any extended form, and 
it is not possible, therefore, to say what 
part Sumter took in its deliberations. 
That he was present and did take part 
would appear from his being selected as 
one of the committee for the district east- 
ward of the Wateree River to carry :nto 
execution the Continental Association, 
which had been approved and resolved 
upon by the Congress. 20. 

This Congress adjourned on the J 7th 
January, 1775, but on receipt of the news 
of the battle of Lexington in May, 1775, 
the general committee summoned the Pro- 
vincial Congress to meet again on the 1st 
June, 1775. 

On the fourth day after its meeting the 
Provincial Congress determined to pro- 
vide effective means for the military pro- 
tection of the colony, and to that end 
resolved to raise three regiments — two 
regiments of foot and one regiment of 
cavalry rangers. 21. 

The military system of ths colony at 
the time was based upon a militia system. 
The whole colony was divided into sepa- 
rate military districts, in which each 
regiment and company was composed of 
the arms-bearing population residing in a 
defined area. 22. The officers had their 



20. Moultrie's Memoirs, Vol 1. p. 45. 

21. Ibid, p. 64; Ramsey, Vol 1, p. 84; 
Drayton, Vol 1, p. 255. 

22. Drayton, Vol 1, p. 357. 



22 

commissions — as colonel, major, captain, 
etc, as the case might be, in the militia. 
The system was compulsory— i. e., upon the 
exigencies provided for by law this militia 
was summoned out and was bound to ap- 
pear and do military duty, but only for a 
limited time. Like all militia serving 
without pay (except when actually drafted 
for service) and in pursuance of a legal 
duty, it represented a more or less uncer- 
tain quantity, and the determination of 
the Congress to raise these regiments was 
to provide for a certain fixed military 
establishment under military discipline to 
meet the emergency of the impending 
conflict. The officers of these regiments 
were then elected by the Provincial Con- 
gress. Sumter was not elected an officer 
at that time. Francis Marion was elected 
a captain in the 2d regiment, of which 
William Moultrie was elected coloneL 
William Thomson was elected lieutenant 
colonel of the regiment of rangers, and 
Moses Kirkland was elected one of the 
captains in Thomson's regiment of 
rangers. 23. 

The Provincial Congress adjourned on 
22d June, 1775, but before adjournment 
elected a Council of Safety, composed of 
thirteen members. To this Council of 
Safety was given the most amnio and en- 
larged powers for the conduct of the Gov- 
ernment and the prosecution of the col- 
ony's defence. That Sumter was an appli- 
cant for a military position at the time 
would appear from the following circum- 
stances: 



23. Moultrie, Vol 1, p. 65. 



23 

First Commiasion in the Army. 

In July, 1775, William Henry Drayton 
and the Rev "VVm Tennent were sent by 
the Council of Safety as commissioners 
to the back county to endeavor to quiet 
and appease the very serious condition of 
unrest and disaffection to the revolution- 
ary administration and its measures, 
which existed among 1 the people in the 
upper and back country. 

The commissioners left Charles Town 
early in August, 1775, and on August 7 
addressed a communication to the Coun- 
cil of Safety from the Congaree store, 
near Granby, in which they say: 

"We have consulted with Col Richard- 
"son" (Col Richard Richardson, colonel 
"of the Camden regiment of militia, (24) 
"touching Mr Sumter's application to the 
"Council. The Colonel readily approved 
"not only of the measure, but of the man, 
"notwithstanding Kirkland," (a disaffected 
Tory, who had been a Whig,) "recom- 
"mended him as his successor in the com- 
"pany of rangers, which he has so 
"treacherously quitted and attempted to 
"disband. The Colonel nevertheless, from 
"his seeming connection with Kirkland, 
"purposes to keep a sharp eye upon Mr 
"Sumter's conduct." 25. 

To this the Council of Safety replied on 
the 13th August, 1775: 

"We think it best to postpone the con- 
"sideration of a military appointment lor 



24. Drayton, Vol 1, p. 308. 

25. Gibbes's Doc Hist's, Voi 1, p. 129. 



24 



"Mr Sumpter until your return, or till we 
"more clearly understand what duty he 
"proposes to take upon himself and upon 
"what consideration." 26. 

(Note. — In the minutes of the Provincial 
Congress, which sat in February, 1776, he 
appears as Captain Sumter.) 

The Council, however, later made the 
appointment, for we find him in Novem- 
ber, 1775, holding the office of captain in 
Col Wm Thomson's regiment of rangers. 
27. 

The position of affairs in the back coun- 
try had become so threatening in Novem- 
ber, 1775, that Col Richard Richardson Had 
been ordered to march to the assistance 
of Major Andrew "Williamson, who was 
then actually besieged at Ninety-Six by 
the Tory insurgents. Col Richardson was 
in command of the army, which, in addi- 
tion to his own regiment and other bodies 
of militia, included Col Wm Thomson's 
regiment of rangers. This advance of Col 
Richardson was entirely successful. All 
armed opposition was put down, the in- 
surrection crushed and the leaders of the 
insurgents taken, while their followers 
were largely disarmed. The campaign 
was carried on under circumstances of 
uncommon exposure and hardship, so as 
to give it the name of the "Snow cam- 
paign," but so successful was its result 
that the Provincial Congress in March, 
1776, presented their thanks to Col Rich- 
ardson, and the officers and men under 



26. S. C. Hist & Gen Mag, Vol 1, p. 131. 

27. Drayton, Vol 2, p. 135. 



25 



his command, for the important and sig- 
nal services they had rendered. 28. On ihis 
campaign Capt Thomas Sumter, of the 
regiment of rangers, was constituted by 
Col Richardson adjutant general, and 
Major Joseph Kershaw was appointed ma- 
jor of brigades, commissary general and 
treasurer. 29. 

"All of which appointments " (says 
Drayton in his memoirs) "were conducted 
"and filled by the two above-named offi- 
"cers in a manner highly honourable to 
"themselves, and advantageously for the 
"public service." 30. 

(Note. — Sumter's name does not appear 
on the general pay roll of Col Thompson's 
regiment to 20th October, 1775. S. C. Hist 
and Gen Mag, Vol 2, p. 191. The probable 
explanation is that he had succeeded 1o 
the command of Moses Kirkland's com- 
pany. Kirkland, however, induced most 
of his company to desert— Ibid, p. 28o— 
Sumter being then appointed Adjutant 
General to the brigade, his name did not 
appear on the regimental pay rolls.) 

Member of Second Provincial Con- 
gress. 

A new election had been held for mem- 
bers of the Provincial Congress in Au- 
gust, 1775, and Thomas Sumter was again 
elected as a delegate from the district 
eastward of the Wateree River— thus be- 
coming a member of the second Provin- 



28. Drayton, Vol 2, p. 135. 

29. Ibid, p. 137. 

30. Ibid, p. 135. 



26 



cial Congress. This Provincial Congress 
met on November 1, 1775, and in November, 
1775, raised a regiment of artillery, con- 
stituting the fourth regular i cgiment in 
the service of the State. 31. 

The Provincial Congress adjourned on 
the 30th November,. 1775, to meet again on 
the 1st February, 1776, having elected a 
new Council of Safety, with powers still 
more enlarged than the former. The Pro- 
vincial Congress having reassembled on 
the 1st February, 1776, on the 22d Febru- 
ary augmented their military establish- 
ment by raising two rifle regiments — thus 
making a total of six regiments in the 
regular military establishment. Thomas 
Sumter was appointed lieutenant colonel 
commandant of the 2d of these regiments, 
being the 6th regiment in cider of the 
whole. At the same time William Hen- 
derson was appointed major of this sec- 
ond regiment of riflemen. 552. 

In April, 1776, the second Provincial 
Congress, of which Sumter was a mem- 
ber as a delegate from the district east 
of the Wateree River, resolved itself into 
the General Assembly of the State and 
adopted a full form of government- 
executive, legislative and judicial— and 
elected and appointed the president, coun- 
cil, Judges and other proper officers to 
carry on the Government, and, after pro- 
viding for the election of a General As- 
sembly to be held in October, 1776, ad- 
journed on the 11th April, 1776. 



31. Moultrie, Vol 1, p. 93. 

32. Ibid, p. 124; Drayton, Vol 2, p. 175. 



27 

Battle of Fort Moultrie. 

The attack on the City of Charleston in 
June, 1776, found Sumter, with his regi- 
ment, as part of the defensive force in 
the city. Whilst Col William Moultrie, 
of the 2d regiment, was in command of 
the fort on Sullivan's Island, which be- 
came the object of the British attack; Col 
Thompson, of the 3d regiment, was 
placed in command of the force on the 
eastern end of the Island to hold that 
part of the Island and prevent Sir Henry 
Clinton, who was with a large British 
force on Long Island, (now called the 
Isle of Palms,) from crossing over to 
Sullivan's Island. Col Sumter appears to 
have been stationed along the mainland, 
from Haddrell's Point, (now Mount Pleas- 
ant,) towards Long Island to repel any 
attempted crossing of the enemy from 
Long Island to the mainland. 33. Of '.he 
force so stationed, consisting of his own 
regiment, with detachments from other 
regiments, he seems to have been in com- 
mand. 34. 

As the conflict that took place on the 
28th June, 1776, was confined to the attack 
by the fleet on Fort Moultrie, and the 
skirmish between Col Thompson's force 
and the enemy on Long Island, Col Sum- 
ter had no active part in it. 

In August, 1776, Gen Charles Lee under- 
took an expedition to East Florida with 



33. Moultrie, Vol 1, pp 142, 150. 155. 

34. Year Book, Charleston, 1898, pp 383, 

384. 



28 

the expectation of easily taking posses- 
sion of St Augustine. He was allowed 
the assistance of the military establish- 
ment of South Carolina. Detachments 
from the four first regiments accom- 
panied him on the 11th August, 1776. 35. The 
remainder of the troops, including Sum- 
ter's regiment, followed. The expedition 
did not proceed beyond Savannah. 36. 
There Gen Lee received in September an 
express, calling him Northward, whither 
he departed at once, expressing before he 
left his high sense of the conduct and be- 
havior of the officers of the South Caro- 
lina troops. 37. These troops suffered ter- 
ribly from sickness incurred in the expedi- 
tion to Georgia, whence they were gradu- 
ally withdrawn.. 

A Continental Officer. 

In June and July, 1776, the Continental 
Congress passed a resolution to take upon 
the Continental military establishment 
all troops upon the regular establishments 
of the colonies. In pursuance of this ac- 
tion of Congress the General Assembly of 
South Carolina on 20th September, 1776, 
transferred to the Continental establish- 
ment the six regiments of provincial reg- 
ulars. This included Col Sumter's regi- 
ment. All the officers of these regiments 
exchanged their commissions hitherto 



35. Moultrie, Vol 1, p. 185. 

36. Charleston Year Book, 1889, p. 233; 
Drayton, Vol 2, p. 335. 

37. Moultrie, Vol 1, p. 18G; Drayton, Vol 
2. p. 386. 



29 



held from the province for commissions 
in the Continental service of the same 
grade, entering the Continental line as 
youngest officers of their respective ranks. 
38. Sumter, therefore, became a colonel in 
the Continental service, his commission 
ranking as of that date. 

Exactly when Sumter had received his 
commission as colonel does not appear. 
He was originally in February, 1776, ap- 
pointed lieutenant colonel of the 6th regi- 
ment. 39. There is no distinct mention of 
his appointment as colonel, but, inasmuch 
as in the orders of the time designating 
him to sit on Court-martials and referring 
to him for other duties, refer to lum as Col 
Sumter— and these r* 'erences are in the 
military oraer books of the time, and 
must be presumed to denote rank and 
precedence with military exactness, there 
can be no doubt he had received his com- 
mission. 40. 

At the same time there is mentioned 
Lieut Col Henderson, of the 6th regi- 
ment. If Henderson, who had been origi- 
nally appointed major, was later lieuten- 
ant colonel, Sumter, who commaded the 
same regiment, was evidently colonel. 41. 

On the 26th September, 1776, Francis Ma- 
rion, then major of the 2d regiment, re- 



38. Moultrie, Vol 1, p. 187, McCrady, Vol 
3, p. 298; Drayton, Vol 2, p. 383. 

39. Ramsay's Rev, Vol 1, p. 52. 

40. Moultrie, Vol 1, p. 195; S. C. Hist and 
Gen Mag, Vol 7, pp 137, 196, 197, 201; Vol 8, 
p. 84. 

41. Ibid, Vol 8, pp 20, 73; Charleston Year 
Book for 1895, pp 335, 337, 339, 341, 342. 



30 

ceived his commission as lieutenant colo- 
nel of that regiment. 42. 

Sumter, therefore, ranked Marion, by 
senority of promotion in the Continental 
line. Neither of them seem ever to have 
received any higher rank in the Conti- 
nental service. 

In 1777 the command of the troops in 
South Carolina, after the departure of 
Gen Lee and Gen James Moore, devolved 
upon Gen Robert Howe, who, upon in- 
formation that the enemy were about to 
invade Georgia, went off to Savannah, 
where he was followed by a strong de- 
tachment of the Continental troops in 
South Carolina, and Gen Sumter, with his 
regiment, must have been part of it, as in 
March, 1777, his regiment was in Savan- 
nah, whence they returned some time in 
June. 

In December, 1777, Sumter was in 
Charles Town, as on the 13th December 
he sat as a member of a council of war 
to pass upon the question whether de- 
tachments from the Continental regiments 
could with propriety be sent on the pro- 
prosed expedition. In the names of the 
officers composing the council he is 
styled "Col Sumpter," whereas Elliott 
and Marion, who were also members, arc 
stvled "Lieut Col." 43. 



42. Charleston Year Book for 1895, p. 332; 
Drayton, Vol 2, p. 337; Gibbes's Doc Hist, 
Vol 2, p. 45. 

43. Moultrie, Vol 1, p. 190. 



31 

In Active Service Until 1778. 

Sumter seems to have continued with 
his regiment on service in and around 
Charles Town, for his regiment and him- 
self are mentioned until April, 1778, in the 
order books of the 1st regiment, which 
have been published and in Moultrie's let- 
ters. The last reference we have to him 
at this period is in a letter from Gen 
Moultrie to Gen Howe, dated April 10, 

1778, wherein Sumter's regiment is men- 
tion as being in Charles Town. 44. The or- 
der book of the 1st regiment refers to the 
regiment as in Charles Town 5th Febru- 
ary, 1778. 45. From that date until after the 
fall of Charles Town in 1780 we find no 
mention of him in militar}' service. He is 
not mentioned in any of the military oper- 
ations during the last half of 1778, or in 

1779, or the first half of 1780. 

The late Gen Wilmot G. DeSaussure 
prepared a list of the names of the offi- 
cers who served in the South Carolina 
regiments on the Contin3ntal establish- 
ment. This list was printed by order of 
the Legislature of South Carolina in 1886, 
and republished in the Year Book of the 
City of Charleston for 1893. In this list it 
is stated that he resigned on September 
23, 1778. No authority for this statement 
is given. The list gives his rank as lieu- 
tenant colonel of the 6th regiment, which 
is evidently a mistake, as he was a full 



44. Ibid, 205. 

45. S. C. Hist and Gen Mag, Vol 7, r>. 
20. 



32 

colonel. His resignation in September, 
1778, also seems inconsistent with the fact 
that Henderson, who was iieutenant colo- 
nel under him in February and March, 

1778, continues to be only lieutenant colo- 
nel of the 6th regiment as iate as March. 

1779, McCrady in his history states that 
domestic affliction having come upon him 
in the loss of all his children but one, "he 
inactivity of the service at the time in- 
duced him to resign in September, 1777. 46. 

However all this may be, in February, 

1780, the Continental Congress resolved to 
reduce the five infantry regiments in the 
establishment in South Carolina to three. 
The five regiments before known, respect- 
ively, as the 1st, 2d, 3d, 5th and 6th, were 
combined and reduced to three, and the 
officers named were: Col C. C. Pinckney 
to the 1st, Lieut Col Marion to the 2d, 
and Col Thompson to the 3d, with Hen- 
derson as lieutenant colonel of the 3d. 
The 4th regiment— the artillery regiment- 
does not seem to have been included in 
the reduction. 

At that date Col Sumter must have 
ceased to hold any active office in the 
Continental service and to have retired 
to the care of his private affairs— to re- 
appear later for the most eminent part of 
his career. (Note.— Gen Howe in a letter 
to Gen Moultrie, dated Sunberry, Ga, De- 
cember 8, 1778, mentions Col Henderson's 
regiment. Moultrie, Vol 1, p. 249.) 



46. McCrady, Vol 3, p. 565. Evidently a 
misprint for 1778. 



33 

British Overrun South Carolina. 

On the 12th April, 1780, Lieut Col Tarle- 
ton, at the head of the British cavalry, 
surprised and practically destroyed the 
American cavalry, commanded by Gen 
Huger, at Monck's Corner. On 12th May 
the City of Charleston had been surren- 
dered to the British, under Sir Henry 
Clinton, carrying with this surrender the 
entire regular American army in South 
Carolina. On the 6th May Tarleton had 
again surprised and defeated the rem- 
nants of the American cavalry at Lenud's 
Ferry, on the Santee. The only organ- 
ized body of American troops left in South 
Carolina was a force of about 350 Conti- 
nentals, under Col Buford, of Virginia, 
who, after the fall of Charleston, was in 
full retreat towards North Carolina. 
Tarleton pursued him with great celerity — 
came up with him in the Waxhaws, in 
Lancaster County, and, although having 
a much inferior force, attacked at once 
and practically destroyed Buford's entire 
force— Tarleton's troopers refusing quar- 
ter, and continuing the massacre after 
surrender in a way that gave proverbial 
force to the term "Tarleton's quarters." 

The effect of this succession of defeats 
was to practically terminate armed re- 
sistance in South Carolina. The entire 
State lay, as it seemed, prostrate and 
helpless at the mercy of the enemy. 

On the 4th June, 1780, Sir Henry Clinton 
wrote from his headquarters in Charles 
Town that he could assert that there 



34 



were few men in South Carolina who were 
not either his prisoners or in arms with 
him. 

This was true. Every Continental or- 
ganization had been captured or dis- 
persed. The militia were stunned and 
despondent at home, waiting each man 
to see what would be the next step. The 
only armed men in the field were the 
British troops and their Tory sympa- 
thizers, who now gathered, organized and 
began to assert themselves. It was the 
lowest ebb of the tide. 

British Burn. Sumter's Home. 

In his pursuit of Buford Tarleton passed 
through Clermont, now the region around 
Statesburgh, in Sumter County. In his 
passage the British went to the plantation 
of Sumter and burned his house, turning 
his family out of doors. In the preface 
to some verses on Sumter, published in 
the Charleston Courier on 14th Novem- 
ber, 1863, the writer states that Gen Sum- 
ter was roused from sleep by hrs servants 
on the approach of the British and took 
shelter in a thicket, within a few hundred 
yards of his family mansion, and from 
that place he saw his family expelled from 
the dwelling, which was then set on fire 
and destroyed. 

McCrady, in his history, says be left his 
house a few hours before Tarleton reach- 
ed his plantation and escaped into 
North Carolina, and that Tarleton, on 



35 



reaching Sumter's plantation and finding 
he was gone, burnt his house. 47. 

Sumter Begins Organized Resistance 

Buford's force had been destroyed on 
the 29th May, 1780.. Within less than two 
months thereafter, viz: about the middle 
of July, Sumter returned from North 
Carolina and established a camp on 
Clem's Creek, in Lancaster County. This 
camp represented the first organized force 
in the State formed after Buford's defeat. 
There had preceded it conflicts between 
Whigs and Tories, but these had been 
conflicts between parties gathered, so to 
say, for the occasion and which dispersed 
when the occasion was over. Sumter's 
camp represented an attempt to create a 
continuing body on the basis of a mili- 
tary organization. He held at this time, 
apparently, no commission which gave 
him any legal right to control the organi- 
zation so effected by him. K>s commis- 
sion as colonel in the Continental army, 
even if still continuing, gave him no 
right of command over men who had 
never enlisted and were, like himself, only 
volunteers. Their organization was purely 
voluntary and equally so was their se- 
lection of Sumter as a leader. It was the 



47. McCrady, "Vol 3, p. 365. Ramsey says: 
"In a little time after he had forsaken 
his house a detachment of the British 
turned his family out of doors, burned 
the house and everything that was in it." 
Ramsey, Rev, Vol 2, p. 130. 



36 



recognition of his capability and not of 
any legal right. 48. After the formation of 
this camp it was not long he 'ore the num- 
ber of Sumter's command was swelled by 
the accession of Whigs from rll parts — so 
that he soon had near 500 men under his 
command. Of stores, supplies, arms and 
ammunition they were at first nearly des- 
titute. 

Says Moultrie in his memoirs: "They 
"sometimes began an action with not 
"more than three rounds per man, and 
"were obliged to wait to be supplied with 
"more by the fall of their friends or ene- 
"mies in battle. When they proved vic- 
"torious they supplied themselves with 
"arms and ammunition from the killed 
"and wounded." 49. 

And Ramsay states with more particu- 
larity: 

"His followers were in n great raeas- 
"ure unfurnished with arms and ammuni- 
"tion, and they had no magazines from 
"which they might draw a supply. The 
"iron tools on the neighboring farms were 
"worked up for their use by common 
"blacksmiths into rude weapons of war. 
"They supplied themselves in part with 
"bullets by melting the pewter with which 
"they were furnished by private house- 
"keepers. They sometimes came to battle 
"when they had not three rounds a man. 
"and some were obliged to keep at a dis- 
"tance till by the fall of others they were 



48. Moultrie, Vol 2, p. 214; Ramsey's Rev, 
Vol 2, p. 130. 

49. Moultrie, Vol 2, p. 214. 



37 

"supplied with arms. When they proved 
"victorious they were obliged to rifle the 
"dead and wounded of their arms and 
"ammunition to equip them for their next 
"engagement. At the head of these volun- 
teers Col Sumpter penetrated into South 
"Carolina and recommenced a military 
"opposition to the British, after it had 
"been suspended for about six weeks." oO. 
This initiation of organised resistance 
was made at a time when the inhabi- 
tants of the State had generally aban- 
doned all idea and effort of farther armed 
opposition, and to Sumter is due the 
credit. 

Huck's Defeat. 

Action soon followed organization. 

The British had established a military 
station at Rocky Mount, in what is now 
Lancaster County. The commandant at 
this post sent Capt Christian Huck— the 
notorious Capt Huck— to repair among the 
Tories the consequences of the dispersal 
of a party of them shortly before at 
Fishing Creek. Huck commanded thirty- 
five dragoons of Tarleton's legion, twenty 
mounted infantry of the New York vol- 
unteers and about sixty Tory native mili- 
tia. He was, therefore, in command of a 
force of regular British soldiers in addi- 
tion to militia. Huck in his progress de- 
stroyed the forge, furnace and mills at 
Hill's Iron Works, and advanced, destroy- 
ing the country and commuting offensive 



50. Ramsey's Rev, Vol 2, p. 130. 



38 



outrages on inoffensive inhabitants until 
on the 12th July he had taken post at 
Williamson's plantation, in York County. 
Here in the early morning Ruck was at- 
tacked by a detachment of volunteers 
from Sumter's camp and, after a short 
engagement, Huck was killed and his 
command entirely dispersed. 51. The Brit- 
ish lost between 30 and 40 killed and 50 
wounded. The Americans lost one .nan 
killed. 

The effect of this success was great. It 
has been well characterized as one of the 
turning points in the Revolution 52. It was 
the first success gained over the royal 
forces since their landing for the invest- 
ment of Charles Town. It was a success 
won by an organized force of Americans 
over an enemy composed in part at least 
of regular British troops. Its result was 
to reinforce Sumter's force by 600 addi- 
tional men. 53. 

The effect upon the representatives of 
the royal cause was equally g^eat. They 
had considered the State practically con- 
quered, and armed resistance at an ond. 
From this pleasant dream the fight at 
Williamson's and the death of Capt Huck 
awakened them. 

They found themselves faced by an 
army— although small — in organized shape 
and led by commanders who were evi- 



51. Moultrie, Vol 2, p. 217; Ramsey's 
Rev, Vol 2, p. 135; McCrady, Vol 3, p. 5:)7. 

52. McCrady, Vol 3, p. 599. 

53. Ramsey Rev, Vol 2, p. 135, 137; Mc- 
Crady, Vol 3, p. 600. 



39 



dently in earnest and knew their busi- 
ness. 

Among the British commanders who 
had asserted in their official dispatches 
that the inhabitants from every quarter 
had declared their allegiance to the King 
and that there were few men in South 
Carolina that were not either prisoners 
or in arms for the King, this unlooked for 
impediment of a military force in arms 
against the King, which had actually de- 
feated and dispersed a force composed in 
part of regular British troops, flushed 
with continuous success — in short, this 
impediment, named Thomas Sumter, 
"roused all the passions, which disap- 
pointed ambition can inspire." They 
were "overwhelmed with astonishment 
"and filled with indignation." 54. 

Sumter — essentially a leader of action — 
did not long remain quiescent. On the 1st 
August, 1780, he made a spirited attack 
upon the Britisih intrenched post at 
Rocky Mount. The post was too strong 
to be carried without artillery and Sum- 
ter's assault was repulsed. 55. 

Fight at Hanging Rock. 

A few days later, on the 6th August, 
1780, he attacked the garrison at Hanging 
Rock. That garrison consisted of 500 men, 
consisting of 160 of the infantry of Tarle- 
ton's Legion, the Prince of Wales's Ameri- 



54. Ramsey Rev, Vol 2, p. 131. 

55. Moultrie, Vol 2, p. 219; Ramsey Rev, 
Vol 2, p. 136. 



40 



can regiment, part of Col Browne's corps 
of provincials and Col BiTan's North 
Carolina Loyalists. The whole was un- 
der the command of Major Carden, of the 
Prince of Wales's regiment. The attacking 
force numbered about 800. The result of 
the action was not conclusive. The Brit- 
ish camp was taken and plundered, but 
the American force finally withdrew, 
leaving the field in possession of the Brit- 
ish, whose loss exceeded that of the at- 
tacking forces. 

Within the space of a month the com- 
mand under Sumter had had three en- 
gagements with British regular troops, 
and in each case the Americans had been 
the attacking party. 

While these operations of Sumter — con- 
temporaneously with similar operations, 
but on a smaller scale, by other partisan 
leaders— were in progress, an army was 
on its way from the northward to assist 
the hard-pressed American forces in the 
South. This army consisted of about 1.200 
Continental soldiers, composed of regi- 
ments from the Maryland and Delaware 
line, and were under the command of Baron 
De Kalb, but on the 25th July De Kalb 
was superseded in his command by Gen 
Horatio Gates, the so-called hero of Sara- 
toga. Gen Gates, with additional re- 
inforcements, crossed the South Caro- 
lina line on the 4th August, and, having 
formed a junction with the North Caro- 
lina militia under Governor Caswell, 
pressed down towards Camden, where the 
British army lay. There Lord Cornwallis 
had himself taken command and was 



41 

present in person. Sumter, who, with the 
force under him, had reached Gates, 
heard that a large convoy, with clothing 
and stores for the British army at Cam- 
den, was on its way to that point hy the 
road between McCord's Ferry, on the Con- 
garee, and the ferry over the Wateree, 
about a mile from Camden. He proposed 
to Gates that he should intercept this 
convoy. Gates assented and sent to join 
him in his attack on the convoy a detach- 
ment of 400 Continental regulars, with two 
brass field pieces. 

Sumter's attack was made on the 15th 
August and was wholly successful. The 
entire convoy and its guard were cap- 
tured, and Sumter, with his prizes and 
prisoners in his possession, commenced 
his retreat up the western side of the 
Wateree River. 

Gates, without waiting for Sumter's re- 
turn, had advanced towards Cornwallis, 
who, in like manner, was advancing 'Um- 
self. The two armies joined battle near 
Camden on the 16th August, and the re- 
sult was one of the most complete defeats 
ever inflicted upon an American army. 

Sumter's Defeat at Fishing Creek. 

Immediately after the battle and wnen 
Gates was in full flight, outstripping all 
his followers in the race— Cornwallis 
turned his attention to Sumter. On the 
morning of the 17th August he dispatched 
Tarleton in pursuit of Sumter. Tarleton, 
pressing with his accustomed celerity and 
vigor, came up with Sumter about mid- 



42 



day on the 18th, and, finding Sumter's 
men in camp entirely off their guard and 
expecting the approach of no enemy, 
Tarleton at once formed his line and 
charged the camp. The surprise was 
complete. Little or no resistance was 
made and the whole camp was reduced to 
a precipitate flight. All the stores cap- 
tured from the British were recaptured, 
all the British prisoners taken by Sum- 
ter were released, and Sumter's entire 
command was killed, taken or dispersed 
He himself barely escaped with his life, 
rode off without saddle, hai or coat, and 
reached Charlotte two days later com- 
pletely unattended. 

This surprise is the one great blot on 
Sumter's career as a military commander. 
It seems to have been due to carelessness 
of the grossest military kind in neglect- 
ing the proper precautions to guard 
against surprise and to protect his force 
if attacked. At the same time it must be 
remembered that Sumter commanded a 
force of both officers and men who had 
little experience of regular warfare, and 
had not been taught that the neglect in 
war of what may appear to be small pre- 
cautions may entail destruction. It was 
impossible for Sumter in command to at- 
tend to all the details of guard mount. He 
could give orders and it is probable that 
so far as the surprise is concerned thai, 
was due to disobedience of orders and 
neglect on the part of his subordinate 
officers. Tarleton says: "Some explana- 
tion received after the action greatly 
diminished the mistakes which Col 3um- 



43 

ter seemed to have committed." He had 
sent out patrols, but they had not gone far 
enough to discover the British approach, 
and on demanding the cause of two shots 
fired by his videttes, who were killed by 
the British, was told by the officer in 
charge of the advanced sentries that it 
was the militia firing at cattle. 

As a commander, however, Sumter can- 
not be acquitted of blame in his halting 
where he did. He had been warned of 
Gates's complete defeat. He knew of 
Tarleton and his restless energy, and he 
should have done as Morgan did later, 
after the battle of Cowpens, and never 
have halted or stayed until he had reach- 
ed a point of absolute safety. 

Ramsay, in his Revolution in South 
Carolina, attributes the defeat to rhe 
fatigue of the Americans. He says: "The 
"Americans, having been for four -lays 
"without sleep or provisions, were more 
"inclined to the calls of nature than at- 
tentive to her first law— self-preserva- 
tion. Col Sumpter had taken every nru- 
"dent precaution to prevent a surprise, 
"but his videttes were so fatigued they 
"neglected their duty." 56. 

Crushing defeats had thus in quick suc- 
cession been inflicted upon both Gates 
and Sumter. While Gates, however, seems 
to have been completely overcome and 
incapable of rallying to meet his emer- 
gency the effect on Sumter was to stim- 
ulate his energies. 



56. Ramsey Rev, Vol 2, p. 15.3. 



44 

Sumter Again Rallies. 

Almost immediately he gathered to- 
gether such of his troops as had escaped 
and within a very brief space of time 
had established his camp again at Clems 
Creek. 

Whilst there engaged in reorganizing 
his command Col James Williams, 
who had been appointed a brigadier 
general of militia by Governor Rutledge, 
appeared at Sumter's camp and claimed 
by virtue of his rank to take command. 

His right to do so Sumter's men flatly 
refused to admit. They were volunteers 
and Sumter had been by them selected 
as their commander. In addition to this 
the men and officers under Sumter had 
strong personal grounds of objection to 
Williams, whom they neither liked nor 
respected. 

Williams still insisting upon the effect 
of his commission, a council of the of- 
ficers serving under Sumter was called 
to consider the effect of Williams's com- 
mission on Sumter's command. 

At this point it was learned that Tarle- 
ton and Rawdon were on the march 
against Sumter's camp. Sumter crossed 
the Catawba and after a slight skirmish 
with Rawdon' s advance, retreated to a 
point of greater safety— higher up the 
river. 

It was there determined by the officers 
and men of Sumter's command to send 
a delegation to Governor Rutledge re- 
monstrating against Williams's commis- 
sion as superseding Sumter's. The dele- 



45 



gates were officers acting as colonels un- 
der Sumter. In the meanwhile it was 
agreed that Sumter should retire during 
the absence of the delegation and that 
Col Lacy should take his place in com- 
mand. 

To this agreement Sumter, with true 
devotion to public interests and lack of 
selfish personal assertion, assented. 

Whilst Sumter was in this retirement 
Col Lacy was informed of the movement 
against Col Patrick Ferguson, of the Brit- 
ish army, and requested to join and co- 
operate. He marched at once with Sum- 
ter's command and on the 6th October, 
17S0, joined the forces under Campbell, 
Shelby, Cleveland and Sevier near King's 
Mountain. 

The next day, the 7th October, took 
place the battle of King's Mountain and 
the death of Col Ferguson, with the en- 
tire defeat and capture of his force. The 
South Carolina force from Sumter's 
camp was commanded by Col Lacey. Col 
Williams was present and took part also 
in the battle in command of a small fcrce 
of his own and was killed, and any fur- 
ther contest on his part as to Sumter's 
right to command ended. 

Commissioned Brigadier General. 

The delegation of officers had in the 
meantime met Governor Rutledge at. 
Hillsborough and the effect of their rep- 
resentations was such that on the fth 
October, 1780, Governor Rutledge issued 
a commission to Sumter as brigadier 



46 

general and placed him in command of 
all the militia of this State. 57. 

Soon after Sumter's appointment to the 
rank of brigadier general, Gen Francis 
Marion also received an appointment to 
the same rank. 58. 

Defeat of Wemyss. 

Sumter returned to his command about 
the 1st November, 1780, and about the 
7th crossed the Broad River and pitched 
his camp near Fishdam Ford. There he 
had under his command between 500 and 
600 men. Lord Cornwallis detached Major 
Wemyss with his regiment of mounted 
infantry and some of Tarleton's legion to 
attack and defeat Sumter at his camp. 
An officer with five men were especially 
detached to penetrate this camp and at- 
tack Sumter himself in his tent. Wemyss 
moved towards his camp and arrived at 
it at a little after midnight and immedi- 
ately attacked, but was met by the 
Americans, who were prepared, and after 
a short and bloody conflict the British 
were repulsed with great loss and re- 
treated, leaving their wounded. Among 
these was Major Wemyss himself, who 
was badly wounded and captured. Sum- 
ter himself, it is said, was asleep in his 
tent at the time and his orderly neglect- 
ing to rouse him at the first alarm, the 
British detail assigned to seek him were 
at his tent before he put on his coat. 



57. McCrady, Vol 3, p. 813. 

58. Ibid, p. 815. 



47 



He ran out, crossed the fence and es- 
caped by the river bank. 

As soon as Cornwallis learned of this 
reverse he sent an express for Tarleton. 
who was then in pursuit of Marion, and 
attempting to force him to battle. Fa- 
tigued and discomfited at his failure to 
make any contact with that elusive com- 
mander when he received the express 
summoning him back to follow up Sum- 
ter, he is said to have made use of the 
exclamation which gave to both Sumter 
and Marion the designations or nicknames 
which immediately and ever since have 
attached to them. 

Named the Game Cock. 

"Come, on my boys! Let us go back 
"and we will soon find the gamecock; but 
"as for this d— d old fox, the devil him- 
"self could not catch him." 

The designation of Sumter was certain- 
ly most appropriate. If, in the language 
of the pit, he had received the gaff severe- 
ly at Fishing Creek he was immediately 
back in the pit as "game" and ready for 
fight as when he began. 

Sumter, after the repulse of Wemyss's 
command, moved down the Enoree, and 
on the 18th November was at Williams's 
plantation, on Little River. There he re- 
ceived information of Tarleton's approach. 
Tarleton, moving with his accustomed 
energy and celerity under Cornwallis's 
instructions to crush Sumter, advanced 
with his own legion, the light infantry 
and 63d British regiment under his 



48 

command. On the information of his ap- 
proach Sumter moved up and stationed 
himself at Blackstocks, on the south side 
of Tyger River, in Union County. There 
he made his arrangements to meet Tarle- 
ton's attack. His force consisted of 420 



Tarleton Repulsed at Blackstocks. 

Tarleton, leaving - his light infantry to 
march, pushed on with his mounted men 
and reached Sumter about 4 o'clock in 
the afternoon with about 250 men. His 
force was thus much inferior to his ad- 
versary's, but that did not daunt Tarle- 
ton, whose continuous course of success 
seemed to have made him think that 
numbers did not count against him. He 
had defeated Sumter at Fishing Creek 
three months before with inferior rum- 
bers and he did not hesitate to try it 
again. He immediately attacked, but met 
with as an immediate and bloody repulse. 
The British loss in killed and wounded 
was near 200. The American loss was 
one killed and three wounded. Unfor- 
tunately for the American cause one of 
these three was Sumter himself. While 
superintending the battle and leading the 
counter attack he was badly wounded in 
the right shoulder. To his aide-de-camp 
he requested that his sword be \ ut in 
the scabbard and that a man be di- 
rected to lead his horse off the field, tell- 
ing him to say nothing about his wound, 
but to request Col Twiggs to take com- 
mand. The Americans remained in pos- 



49 



session of the field. As Tarleton did not 
retreat far, however, and the informa- 
tion was received that he would be im- 
mediately reinforced by the seventy-first 
British regiment and the legion and light 
infantry. Col Twiggs crossed the Tyger 
River that night to a position where he 
would be unassailable. Tarleton next 
morning could take the empty field, but 
nothing more, and he did not attempt to 
follow up his enemy, but retired to Winns- 
boro. He claimed the result as a victory, 
but no succeeding British historian has 
done so. The most gratifying result to 
the British commander was the wound 
of Sumter, which incapacitated him for 
any further immediate action. Corn- 
wallis testifies to this when he writes 
Tarleton. 

"I shall be very glad to hear that Sum- 
mer is in a condition to give us no fur- 
"ther trouble; he certainly has been our 
"greatest plague in this country." 

This occasion was the last time that 
the two antagonists, Sumter and Tarle- 
ton, faced each other in conflict. (Note — 
The British Historian otedman, following 
the account of this battle given by Col 
Roderick Mackenzie in his strictures on 
Tarleton's published history of the cam- 
paign, gives the victory to the Americans, 
who held the field and all the British 
wounded, viz: "The wounded of the 
British detachment were left to the mercy 
of the enemy, and it is but doing bare 
justice to Gen Sumter to declare that the 
strictest humanity took place upon the 
present occasion; they were supplied with 
every comfort in his power.") 



50 

When Sumter had sufficiently recovered 
from his wound to take the field again 
Tarleton had left South Carolina, accom- 
panying- Cornwallis Northward on that 
march which terminated at Zorktown. 

Sumter was the first military com- 
mander in South Carolina since Huger's 
defeat who showed his willingness to 
meet Tarleton and fight him, and 
was also the first commander in 
South Carolina at whose hands Tarle- 
ton suffered an unquestioned reverse. 
The two were alike in many of their char- 
acteristics— their energy, decision, quick- 
ness of movement, and readiness to fight. 
If Sumter had suffered the worst defeat 
of the two in the affair at Fishing Creek, 
yet he could feel he had recovered 
from it and had met and in his turn 
defeated Tarleton, who has been pro- 
nounced a born cavalry leader and the 
best commander of cavalry of his time in 
the British army. Fishing Creek was 
paid for later when on the 17th January, 
1781, Tarleton left the field of battle at 
Cowpens in as full flight as Gates left 
the field at Camden. 

Suffering from his Wound. 

The wound received by Sumter was so 
severe as to practically debar him from 
active service in the field for near five 
months. He still retained his command 
and lent his aid and advice in consulta- 
tion to Gen Gates in the command of 
the Southern army. On the 3d Novem- 
ber, 1780, Greene writes him that: "I am 



51 

"impatient to hear of your recovery and of 
"seeing- you at the head of the militia." 59. 
But as late as 9th March, 17S1, Sumter 
writes that he has but very little use 
of his right hand, and writing was very 
painful to him. Whilst in this enforced 
retirement, but still retaining his com- 
mand, a difference arose between Sum- 
ter and Gen Daniel Morgan, then in 
command of a detachment of the South- 
ern army. Into the merits of this con- 
troversy it is impossible in this sketch 
to go. The point of controversy was 
Sumter's refusal to allow officers under 
his immediate command to receive orders 
from Morgan direct, instead of being 
transmitted through himself. They both 
held the rank of brigadier general. Mor- 
gan in the Continental service and Sum- 
ter in the State service, and Sumter's 
commission appears to have ante-dated 
Morgan's. Both were men of impervious 
nature and both seem in this 'natter to 
have displayed temper, but fortunately 
the occurrence did not take place in a 
time or manner to affect injuriously the 
public service. 

On the 17th January, 1781, Morgan de- 
feated Tarleton in the decisive battle of 
the Cowpens, and, following that event, 
Greene retreated before Lord Cornwallis 
to Hillsborough in North Carolina, being 
joined by Morgan's command on the way 



59. Gen Washington, in writing to Gen 
Green, remarks that Gen Sumter's bril- 
liant action deserved great commendation. 
Writings of George Washington, Vol 7, 
p. 360. 



52 

and South Carolina was again loft with- 
out any Continental force within her 
borders. 

On 30th January Greene wrote to Sum- 
ter: "I have the pleasure to hear by Gen 
"Morgan that you are almost well 
"enough to take the field. Nothing will 
"afford me greater satisfaction than to 
"see you at the head of ihe militia 
"again; and I can assure you E shall take 
"a pleasure in giving you every oppeitu- 
"nity to exercise that talent of enter- 
prise which has already rendered you 
"the terror of your enemies and the idol 
"of your friends." 

Takes the Field Again. 

Notwithstanding the continuing effect 
of his wound Sumter took the field again 
early in February. Greene had written 
him on the 3d February telling him of 
his anxiety to have him back at soon 
as his health would permit, and inform- 
ing him that when the militia could be 
embodied, whether employed in South- 
Carolina or with the Continental army, 
he was to have the command of the 
whole. 

Cornwallis, having advanced into North 
Carolina, Greene retreating before him. 
Sumter cut in behind the British general, 
striking direct at his posts and commu- 
nications with Charles Town. Hav- 
ing collected his force, about 280 men, he 
marched on the 16th February, 1781, against 
one of the main posts of the enemy at 
Fort Granby, on the Congaree River, 



53 

about three miles below the junction of 
the Broad and Saluda. He immediately 
attacked the post on the 19th February, 
but Lord Rawdon having advanced from 
Camden with his full force for its re- 
lief, Sumter was unable to capture it, 
although he succeeded in destroying its 
stores. Compelled by Lord Rawdon's ap- 
proach to raise the siege of Fort Granby, 
Sumter marched immediately against 
the next British post at Thomson's, near 
the site of Fort Motte, in Orangeburg 
County. Finding the post too strong 
for assault he invested it and on the 23d 
February, whlist continuing the invest- 
ment, he attacked a British detach- 
ment escorting a convoy of army sup- 
plies and clothing intended for Lord 
Rawdon's army. This detachment 
was completely defeated and the en- 
tire convoy taken. The stores were 
placed upon boats and sent down 
the river to a lower point, where Sum- 
ter was to meet the boats with his 
troops. Lord Rawdon, hearing of the 
attack on the post at Thomson's, had 
marched to its relief and on the 24th his 
approach compelled Sumter to retire. 
Through the treachery of the pilot the 
boats with the captured stores had been 
carried within the range of the guns of 
the British post at Fort Watson, at 
Wright's Bluff, on the Santee River, and 
were recaptured. Informed of this Sum- 
ter crossed the Santee, and on the 27th 
February assaulted the fort, which had 
just been reinforced by the arrival of 
Col Watson and 400 provincial hght in- 



54 

fantry. The post was too strong to be 
taken and his attack was repulsed. Sum- 
ter then moved to the High Hills of 
Santee. Within less than ten days he 
had attacked three strong posts, had cap- 
tured and dispersed a strong detachment 
in charge of the convoy and had com- 
pelled Lord Rawdon twice to move with 
his whole force to protect his posts. 

After remaining for a few days at the 
High Hills Sumter retired to the Wax- 
haws by way of Black River. On this 
march he was, on the 6th March, at- 
tacked by Major Fraser with a consid- 
erable body of British regulars and Tory 
militia, but the attack was repulsed 
the British compelled to retreat and Sum- 
ter was not further molested. 

From there he retired to the "New Ac- 
quisition," viz, the present County of 
York, still suffering from his old wound, 
for he writes to Gen Marion on ihe 28th: 
"I write m so much pain as hardly to 
"know my own meaning or read what. 
"I write." 

There he occupied himself in efforts to 
embody troops upon the State establish- 
ment, so as to give some assurance of a 
definite force to be relied upon, and 
seems to have succeeded in raising three 
small regiments of regular State troops 
to be employed in constant service for 
ten months. 

The battle of Guilford Court House be- 
tween the opposing armies, commanded 
by Gen Greene and Lord Cornwallis, was 
fought on 15th March, 1781. The result 
was the retreat of Lord Cornwallis to 



55 

Wilmington, leaving the upper part of 
North Carolina wholly unoccupied and 
the way open for Greene to march to 
South Carolina if he saw fit. The ques- 
tion then for Greene was whether he 
should follow Cornwallis and oppose his 
advance into Virginia or, leaving that 
advance to be met by the State forces 
of Virginia and such reinforcements as 
might be sent from the northward, march 
into South Carolina and destroy the Brit- 
ish occupation there. To whom the credit 
is due of his final determination to 
adopt the latter course does not now 
matter. It is history that he did adopt 
it and the result justified the wisdom of 
his decision. 

Placed in Command of all the Militia 

1 Sumter had been placed by Governor 
Rutledge in command of all the militia 
of the State— 60— and on Gen Greene's 
determination to return to South Caro- 
lina he wrote to Sumter, asking him to 
give orders to the other militia com- 
manders, Pickens and Marion, to collect 
all the militia they could to co-operate. 

Greene moved on Camden and Sumter 
took post between Camden and Ninety- 
Six, so as to clear that country fiom all 
interferences with Greene's advance. 

On the 25th of April the battle of Hob- 
kirk's Hill between Gen Greene and "Lord 
Rawdon was fought, resulting in a re- 
pulse to the Americans. 



). McCrady, Vol 4, pp 164, 165. 



56 

Sumter continued in the effort to col- 
lect men and provisions under Greene's 
instructions, still suffering from his old 
wound, for he writes to Greene on the 
6th May: "My hand is still very stiff; my 
"shoulder very uneasie, & I fear as the 
"weather grows warmer shall be obliged 
"to retire." 

Moves Against the British Posts. 

Notwithstanding this, Sumter soon dis- 
played his old activity. On 10th May 
Lord Rawdon abandoned Camden and be- 
gan his retreat to the low country. Be- 
fore this, however, Sumter had moved. 
He first dispersed a party of Tories on 
the Tyger River and then, dividing his 
force into detachments, he swept through 
the disaffected settlements in the coun- 
try. On the 2d May, 1781, he arrived be- 
fore Fort Granby and, leaving Col Thos 
Taylor with a party to invest that point, 
he rapidly advanced to Orangeburg, 
which he captured on the 11th May with 
the supplies at the post. 

Lord Rawdon, having abandoned Cam- 
den on the 11th May, finding his posts 
taken and his communication destroyed, 
fell back first to the Eutaws and then 
to Monck's Corner. Sumter proposed to 
Greene that, uniting all his forces, in- 
cluding the commands of Sumter, Marion 
and Lee, they should boldly give battle 
to the British and seek to destroy Ra- 
don's army. Greene, however, thought 
the chances too hazardous to venture the 
conflict and Lord Rawdon was allowed to 



57 

pursue his retreat and Greene turned Hs 
attention to the investment of the Bi it- 
ish post at Ninety-Six, whilst Sumter 
scoured the country down to Dorchester. 
taking away horses and everything in 
the way of transportation that could as- 
sist the British. 61. 

Lord Rawdon, having been heavily rein- 
forced from Charles Town, now advanced 
to the relief of Ninety-Six and Sumter, 
then posted at Fort Granby, moved slow- 
ly back before him and joined Gen 
Greene above the Broad River, near 
Winnsboro, whither Greene retreated 
upon the approach of Lord Rawdon and 
after the defeat of his assault on Nine- 
ty-Six. 

Lord Rawdon, leaving a large portion 
of his force with Col Cruger at Ninety- 
Six to bring off the Loyalists of that 
section, had marched first to Granby and 
then to Orangeburg, where he had re- 
ceived reinforcements under Col Stuart- 
Greene, having with him Sumter and his 
command, followed Rawdon to Orange- 
burgh and there remained in position and 
offered battle. This the British, command- 
er did not accept, being very strongly 
posted, and on the approach of Cruger 
with his command from Ninet7-Six 
Greene drew off to the High Hills of 
Santee. He turned over the command cf 
all the mounted men in his command to 
Sumter, to whom he devolved the execu- 
tion of an expedition that the latter had 
planned. This was the destruction of all 



61. McCrady, Vol 4, pp 231, 



58 



the British posts and lines of communica- 
tion between Orangeburgh and Charles 
Town. 

Commands the Operations in. the Low 
Country. 

Sumter proceeded to carry out Ihe 
agreed plan with his accustomed celerity 
Col Lee with his legion, with the co-op- 
operation of Col Wade Hampton and a. 
detachment of Sumter's ' cavalry, swept 
down to Dorchester and through Goose 
Creek up to the very gates of Charles 
Town. Sumter with his main nody took 
the road east of Cooper River to Monck's 
Corner. On his approach Col Coates, the 
British commander, abandoned Monck's 
Corner and took post at Biggin Church. 
This he again abandoned and, setting fire 
to all his stores and the church, hastily 
retreated down the east side of Cooper 
River to Shubrick's. Here he tDok post 
and on Sumter's arrival he immediately 
attacked, but Coates was too strongiy 
posted, and after a stout combat of some 
three hours the Americans withdrew, hav- 
ing exhausted every charge of ammuni- 
tion. Relief from Charles Town being 
near at hand for the British .ind Bord 
Rawdon's forces reported moving down, 
Sumter retreated across the San tee end 
then took post near Friday's Ferry, on 
the Congaree, whilst Greene established 
his camp at the High Hills. 

The result of this expedition under 
Sumter's command, in addition to the de- 
struction of the enemy's stores, was to 



59 

demonstrate that the . British retained 
possession of only so much of the coun- 
try even in the neighborhood of Charles 
Town as their armies actually occupied, 
and this within a little more than a year 
since Sumter, on the approach of Tarle- 
ton, had abandoned his home Lo the torch 
of the enemy. 

The old wound of Sumter broke out 
afresh and he was now compelled to rest 
for a space from the severe labors of 
active service. As late as 19th September 
he was still scarcely able to sign his 
name. 

During the period of this enforced inac- 
tion the command of his troops was de- 
volved upon Col William Henderson, who 
had been major under Sumter at the for- 
mation of the 6th regiment in February. 
1776, and had commanded that regiment 
later. Owing to the suffering entailed by 
his old wound and accompanying indis- 
position Sumter was not able to resume 
his command in time to be present at 
the battle of Eutaw Springs on the Sth 
September, 1781, where his troops were 
under the command of Col Henderson. 

Resumes Operations. 

Sumter was enabled to resume his com- 
mand in November and co-operated in the 
general advance, which culminated by 
the 7th December in the entire British 
force being confined to Charles Town and 
the small neck or isthmus between the 
Cooper and Ashley rivers, Sumter being 
posted at Orangeburg. 



60 

With this practically terminated Sum- 
ter's military service. The State was 
now practically back in the hands : f her 
citizens. Charles Town alone remained 
in the hands of the British. 

Resigns from the Army. 

An election was ordered to a new Gen- 
eral Assembly, to be held at Jackson- 
borough in January, 1782. That Assembly 
met on the 18th January, 1782, and soon 
after it met Gen Sumter finally resigned 
his commission and Col William Hender- 
son was appointed brigadier general to 
succeed him. 62. 

Gen Greene had written him on 12th De- 
cember, 1781, to ask if he intended to get. 
into the General Assembly "and have the 
"approbation of the House upon the 
"measures taken to raise State troops? 
"Nothing like the time present, when 
"gratitude is warm and danger not pfist. 
"to get business of this sort approved." 

What Greene referred to was the meas- 
ure adopted by Sumter to fill up the reg- 
iment of State troops he was directed to 
organize in March, 1781. 

He had then offered certain verms of 
payment, including a proportion of all 
captured property. These terms were 
based upon no existing law and their con- 
firmation and the validity of the title of 
the holders to the captured property de- 
pended upon the approval to be given by 
the General Assembly to the measures 



62. McCrady, Vol 4, p. 534. 



61 

taken by Sumter by the enactment of 
some law. 

To this Sumter answered in a letter full 
of dignity, under date of 22d Decern oer. 
1781: 

"You asked if I did not intend to get 
"into the General Assembly. It is proba- 
"ble I may serve if elected, but as I never 
"have solicited any public appointment 
"I can't think of doing it now. 

"Notwithstanding I have the matter 
"you have mentioned very much at 
"heart, but if men are lost or callous to 
"every sentiment of gratitude and jus- 
"tice, my weak reasonings, although 
"founded on the strictest equity will not 
"prevail. However I shall be prepared 
"to make a true and fair representation 
"of matters to the House perhaps the re- 
"sult may prove favorable. I bave noth- 
"ing to urge upon my own account more 
"than to enable me to comply with the 
"promises made to the troops— if they are 
"paid and I am censured my expectations 
"will not be disappointed." 63. 

With this resignation of Sumter termi- 
nated his military career. Active hostil- 
ities were practically over and the coun- 
try could then dispense with his services. 
He first of all others had formed a 
collected body of troops to meet the 
British invasion when all other or- 
ganized commands had been captured 
or dispersed, and this at a time 
when apparently the State had aban- 
doned hope of any successful re- 



63. Charleston Year Book for 1899, p. 66. 



62 



sistance. From that period in July, 1780, 
until November, 1781, he had been contin- 
uously in active command on field service 
save for the enforced retirement due to 
his wound, and for a great portion of 
that time, from February, 1781, to No- 
vember, 1781, he had continued in that 
active service, although nearly all the 
time suffering more or less acute'iy from 
the severe wound received by him at 
Blackstocks. 

In closing this account of his military 
career it is as well to give the opinion 
entertained by those who could judge of 
his merit and his exploits. 

Testimonials to Services. 

First can be placed the testimony of 
his superior officer, Gen Nathanael Greene, 
as contained in his letters: 

" January 30, 1781. 

"Nothing will afford me greater satis- 
"faction than to see you at the head of 
"the militia again, and I can assure you 
"I shall take a pleasure in giving you 
"every opportunity to exercise that tal- 
"ent of enterprise which has already ren- 
dered you the terror of your enetnies 
"and the idol of your friends." 64. 

"February 3, 1781. 

"I have ever considered it a great mis- 
"fortune that you was wounded on my 
"first coming to the command " 65. 

"May 17, 1781. 

"It is unnecessary for me to tell you 
"how important your services are to the 
"interest and happiness of this country. 



64. Charleston Tear Book for 1899, p. 

65. Ibid, p. 80. 



63 



"and the confidence I have in your abili- 
"ties and zeal for the good of the s<-r- 
"vice. Your continuing in command will 
"lay the public in general and me in par- 
ticular under a very great obligation." 6(?. 
"June 23, 1781. 

"Col Polk informs me your health is 
"getting worse and your wound more 
"troublesome. I am sorry on yours, my 
"own and the public's account. it will 
"be a great misfortune." 6". 

"December 15, ?781. 

"Your country, if they have any jus- 
"tice and gratitude, will not fail to bless 
"and reward you for your exertions, made 
"in the darkest hours they ever felt. J 
"shall always bear testimony to your 
"services and won't fail to tell the people 
"how much you did when many others 
"hid their heads." 68. 

He is thus described by Lieut Col Henry 
Lee in his Memoirs: 

"Sumter was younger than Marion, 
"larger in frame, better fitted in strength 
"of body to the toils of war and, like his 
"compeer, devoted to the freedom of his 
"country. His aspect was manly and 
"stern, denoting insuperable firmness and 
"lofty courage. He was not over-scrupu- 
"lous as a soldier in his use of means.. 
"and was apt to make considerable al- 
lowance for a state of war. Believing it 
"warranted by the necessity of the case, 
"he did not occupy his mind with critical 



66. Ibid, p. 101. 

67. Ibid, p. 116. 

68. Ibid, p. 132. 



64 



"examination of the equity of his meas- 
ures or of their bearings upon individu- 
"als, but indiscriminately pressed for- 
"ward to his end— the destruction of his 
"enemy and liberation of his country. In 
"his military character he resembled 
"Ajax, relying more upon the fierceness 
"of his courage than upon the result of 
"unrelaxing vigilance and nicely adjusted 
"combination. Determined to deserve 
"success, he risked his own 'ife and the 
"lives of his associates without rt serve. 
"Enchanted with the splendor of victory 
"he would wade through torrents of blood 
"to attain it." 69. 

Lieut Col Garden, in his anecdotes, says 
of him : 

"In the school of adversity he learnt 
"circumspection and was more than once 
"compelled to fight jnder the greatest 
"disadvantages. He became ultimately 
"so guarded in his attention to the secur- 
ity of his camp and so happy in the 
"choice of his positions that every at- 
tempt to injure him on the part cf the 
"enemy proved abortive, whilst the enter- 
prises which he conducted were for the 
"most part productive of the most bril- 
liant success. No man was more inde- 
fatigable in his efforts to obtain vic- 
"tory; none more ready by the generous 
"exposure of his person and the r.nimat- 
"ing example of intrepidity to deserve it." 
70. 



69. Lee's Memoirs, 3d, 2d, p. 174. 

70. Gardon's Anecdotes, first series, p. 
32. 



65 



Lord Cornwallis, as we have i een, de- 
nominated him "our greatest nlague in 
this country." 71. 

His great adversary, Tarleton, mentions 
him with more commendation than £ ny of 
the American officers opposed to him. 
Referring- to the fights at Rocky Mount 
and Hanging Rock, he says: 

•The repulses he had sustained did not 
"discourage him or injure his cause. The 
"loss of men was easily supplied and his 
"reputation for activity and courage was 
"fully established by his late enterprising 
"conduct." 72. 

The Continental Congress of the United 
States, by a resolution adopted 13th Janu- 
ary, 1781, expressed their appreciation of 
Sumter's services as follows: 

"Congress, taking into consideration the 
"eminent services rendered to rhe United 
"States by Brig Gen Sumter, of South 
"Carolina, at the head of a number of 
"volunteer militia from that and the 
"neighboring States particularly in the 
"victory obtained over the enemy at the 
"Hanging Rock on the 6th day cf Au- 
"gust, in the defeat of Major Wemyss 
"and the corps of British infantry and 
"Dragoons under his command at Broad 
"River on the 9th day of November, in 
"which the said Major Wemyss was 
"made prisoner and in the repulse of Lieut 
"Col Tarleton and the British caval- 
"ry and infantry under his command at 
"Blackstocks, on Tyger River, on the 20th 



71. Tarleton's Campaign, p. %. 

72. Tarleton's Campaigns, p. 203. 



66 

"November last, in each of which actions 
"the gallantry and military conduct of 
"Gen Sumter and the courage and perse- 
"verance of his troops were highly con- 
spicuous, resolved, therefore, that the 
"thanks of Congress be presented to Brig 
"Gen Sumter and the militia aforesaid for 
"such reiterated proofs of their patriot- 
ism, bravery and conduct, which entitle 
"them to the highest esteem and confi- 
"dence of their country, and that the 
"commanding officer of the Southern de- 
partment do forthwith cause the same to 
"be issued in General Orders and trans- 
"mitted to Gen Sumter." 

On 27th February, 1783, the r.xpress 
thanks of the Senate of his native State 
were by resolution extended to him for 
"his eminent and conspicuous services to 
"this country." 

Continues to Serve the State. 

Although he had resigned from military 
service Sumter still continued to serve 
his country in a civil capacity. 

He was elected in December, 1781, as 
Senator from the district lying eastward 
of the Wateree River and sat as a mem- 
ber of the General Assembly which held 
its first session at Jacksonborough. By 
that Assembly he was on the 3d January, 
1782, elected a member of the Privy Coun- 
cil, but declined serving. He was re- 
elected Senator from the same c.istrict in 
the fall of 1782 and sat as a member of 
the General Assembly that met in 17S3 
and by which he was elected a delegate 



67 



to represent the State in the Continental 
Congress. 

He was again a member of the General 
Assembly in 1784, 1785 and 1786. It was in 
the latter year that the statute for re- 
moving the seat of government from 
Charleston to Columbia was passed. Gen 
Sumter advocated the claim of the High 
Hills of Santee as having the best claim 
from health and otherwise to the location 
of the future Capital of the State, but 
the Legislature determined upon the 
present site. 

It is stated by Johnson in his traditions 
of the Revolution that "in the discussion 
"a personal dispute arose between Gen 
"Sumter and Commodore Gillon. With- 
"out a message or preconcert, each came 
"the next morning into the House grmed 
"with small swords, the weapon usually 
"worn at that time by gentlemen for de- 
"fence," but that, after an address from 
the Speaker, first to the parties and then 
to the House, the dispute was settled. 73. 

Opposes the Constitution of the 
United States. 

The Constitution of the United States, 
framed by the General Convention which 
sat in 1787, was presented to the several 
States for ratification. Gen Sumter was 
a member of the General Assembly of 
South Carolina in 1788, when the question 
came before that body in the shape of a 
resolution calling for the election of a 



73. Johnson's Traditions, p. 77. 



68 



convention, to whom should be sub- 
mitted the question of ratification. 
Gen Sumter, with Rawlins Lowndes, 
opposed the call, as he opposed the pxo- 
posed Constitution, and after a orotraot- 
ed debate the resolution for calling the 
Convention was adopted by a majority of 
only one. Gen Sumter and the entire del- 
egation from his district, i. e., the dis- 
trict lying east of Wateree River, voted 
against the resolution. 

Notwithstanding this opposition he was 
elected a member of the Convention, in 
which he continued his opposition. He first 
moved that the consideration of the ques- 
tion be postponed from May, 378$, when 
the Convention was sitting until a later 
date, and this having been voted down, 
he then, with all the delegation from ins 
district, voted with the minority against 
ratification. 74. 

With Lowndes and the others of the 
minority he based his opposition upon the 
ground that the power lodged in the Gen- 
eral Government by the new Constitution 
contained the fatal germs of a growth 
that would overthrow the liberties of the 
several States. 

Service in Congress. 

i 

So great was the admiration of his 
countrymen for and their confidence in 
Gen Sumter that, although he had been 
the consistent opponent of the adoption of 
the new Constitution, yet he was imme- 



74. Elliott's Debates, Vol 4 ; pp 304, 332 
and 324. 



69 

diately elected a member of the House 
of Representatives to the first Congress 
held under that instrument, and took his 
seat in May, 1789. He was re-elected in 
1790 to the 2d Congress and sat until 
March, 1793. He was elected also to the 
5th, 6th and 7th Congresses from 1797 to 
1S01, when he was elected to the United 
States Senate and resigned his seat in the 
House of Representatives. He was elect- 
ed Senator in 1801 and sat out his term 
until 1805, when he was re-elected to suc- 
ceed himself and sat in the United States 
Senate until 1810, when he resigned. 75. 

He was an ardent follower and support- 
er of Mr Jefferson and an unswerving 
opponent of the Federalists and all the 
measures which culminated in the alien 
and sedition laws of 1798. In the life of 
Gen Sumter in Appleton's Encyclopaedia 
of American Biography it is stated that 
Gen Sumter was "a zealous Federalist." 
No authority is given for this statement, 
and if we are to be guided by Sumter's 
actions in opposing all Federalist meas- 
ures and his own declaration he was ex- 
actly the opposite. He was an admirer as 
well as a supporter of Mr Jefferson end 
declared the "Virginia and Kentucky res- 
olutions of 1798 to embody the true con- 
struction of the Constitution. 

So close were the relations between 
Jefferson and himself that on 24th March, 
1801, Mr Jefferson writes him a personal 
letter, addressing him as "My Dear Gen- 



75. Charleston Year Book for 1884, pp 
18, 342. 



70 

eral," and telling him that he nad deter- 
mined in future to name the secretaries 
of legation in place of allowing ministers 
to take a private secretary of their own. 
That Chancellor Livingston had accepted 
the mission to France and that he had 
selected Gen Sumter's son as the secre- 
tary of legation to France if the appoint- 
ment would be acceptable to him, and 
requesting the General to make the prop- 
osition to his son. 76. 

Retires to Private Life. 

After his resignation Gen Sumter re- 
tired to his private estate, South Mount, 
near Statesburg, in Sumter County, in 
the district he had so long and faithfully 
represented. He was at the time of his 
retirement 76 years of age. Although he 
retired from active public life to the quiet 
and unostentatious life of a South Caro- 
lina planter and country gentleman, he 
nevertheless continued to take an active 
interest in all affairs affecting his ( ountry. 

Before his death the contest between 
the Federal and State Governments, which 
he presaged in 1788, had become intense. 
The system of tariff protection inaugu- 
rated in 1816, intensified in 1818, carried 
to greater length in 1824, had culminated 
in 1828 in a series of statutes which re- 
sulted in laying a most burdensome and 
oppressive taxation upon the Southern 
portion of the United States. This led 



76. Original MSS letter letter in posses- 
sion of Miss M. H. Brownfield. 



71 

to great discontent throughout the South 
and in South Carolina especially, to the 
formation of the party which advocated 
active measures to nullify statutes they 
declared to be unjust and unconstitutional 
invasions of the liberties of the State. 
Mr Calhoun was the exponent and leader 
in the South of this party, which num- 
bered among its warmest supporters Gen 
Sumter. He was still in the active pos- 
session of his faculties, both physical and 
mental. His son, Thomas Sumter, Jr, in 
a letter to his daughter, dated 26th De- 
cember, 1825, says: 

"As to the health of your grandfather 
"I saw him yesterday and, in his 88th 
"year, he mounts and rides his horse al- 
"most like a young man." 77. 

Member of State's Right Party. 

The State's rights party claimed him 
as a member, as indeed he himself de- 
clared. In 1830 he had written a letter un- 
equivocally denouncing as unconstitu- 
tional the Tariff Acts passed by Congress 
and supporting the construction of the 
Constitution which reserved to the States, 
if these rights were invaded by unconsti- 
tutional legislation, the power to resist 
their enforcement or withdraw from the 
Union. Some contention arose in 1831 as 
to his position. A newspaper in the State, 
the Camden Journal, published an item 
stating that he had changed his views. 



77. MSS letter in possession of R. J. 
Brownfield, Esq. 



72 



This misstatement was quickly corrected. 
Gen Sumter wrote a letter to his grandson, 
which was published in the Charleston 
Mercury for 2d September, 1831. This let- 
ter is written with all the clearness arid 
vigor of his early days. In this letter 
he ridicules the statement in the Camden 
Journal, declares his views not only un- 
changed, but to be what they had al- 
ways been, and calls attention to a let- 
ter of his dated 29th October, 1830, which 
had previously been published and in 
which he had set out his opinion and con- 
victions. 

Supports IVullification. 

In this last mentioned letter he had 
referred to as expressing the true con- 
struction of the Constitution, t!ae Vir- 
ginia and Kentucky resolutions of 1798. 
and Mr Calhoun's (the then Vice Presi- 
dent of the United States) letter main- 
taining and defending the principle and 
enforcement of nullification. Gen Sumter 
declares in his letter that the principle 
"that the Legislature as a soverign power 
"can nullify the unconstitutional acts of 
"the General Government is the primary 
"and principal doctrine of the State's 
"rights party." 

At a meeting of the State's rights party, 
held in Charleston in September, 1831, a 
series of resolutions are adopted thank- 
ing Gen Sumter for his expressed support 
and declaring that he stood by State's 
rights then as he did in the hot times of 
1798. 



73 

This is the last public utterance of the 
aged soldier and statesman that we find 
He died the 1st June, 1832, at his home at 
South Mount, in Sumter County, the last 
surviving officer of his rank in the Conti- 
nental army. Notwithstanding the em- 
bittered state of public feeling then, when 
the struggle between the State's rights 
and the Union parties in the States was 
at its height, the mourning over the State 
was universal and deep. 

Gen Sumter left but one child, Thomas 
Sumter, Jr, who was born in 1768. He 
entered the diplomatic service first as 
secretary of legation to France, appointed 
by President Jefferson, and afterwards 
served as United States minister to Por- 
tugal. He married Mdle Natalie de De- 
lage and left several children at his death 
in 1840. 

I have now finished the task that I al- 
lotted to myself. I am conscious, defply 
conscious, that my performance has been 
totally inadequate to the subject, but if 
I have been able to rescue from oblivion 
any thing or act that deserves to be re- 
membered concerning one to whom jus- 
tice has been so tardy in her memorials, 
or if I have been able to add one more 
laurel to the chaplet on the brow of one 
who so worthily won them, then I shall 
feel that my effort has not been in vain. 



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